Corner structure for wall members



y 6, 1969 T. MUNRQE 3,442,412

CORNER STRUCTURE FOR WALL MEMBERS Filed April 10, 1967 Sheet of 5 INVENTOR THOMAS MUNROE 8) ATTORNEYS May 6, 1969 I CORNER STRUCTURE FOR WALL MEMBERS Filed April 10, 1967 Sheet 2 0f T. MUNROE 3,442,412

May 6, 1969 T. MUNROE CORNER STRUCTURE FOR WALL MEMBERS Sheet Filed April 10, 1967 CORNER STRUCTURE FOR WALL MEMBERS Sheet Filed April 10, 1967 May 6, 1969 T. MUNROE CORNER STRUCTURE FOR WALL MEMBERS Sheet Filed April 10, 19 67 FIG-21 6 Q -W m F I 2 MM 4 64/ 0 7 8 w W: m w 5 1 nlu 5M E.- 9

United States Patent 3,442,412 CORNER STRUCTURE FOR WALL MEMBERS Thomas Munroe, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to Moraine Box Company, Dayton, Ohio, a corporation of Michigan Filed Apr. 10, 1967, Ser. No. 629,701

Int. Cl. B65d 9/38, 63/00 U.S. Cl. 217-69 12 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE a unit.

Background of the invention There has been considerable development effort in the area of corner structures for containers made out of plywood and similar materials. These materials are known to be very strong, and thus it is necessary to provide a corner structure between adjacent side walls and between the side walls and bottom walls which will be at least as strong as the side walls themselves. In the past, one corner expedient included the use of a triangular block which is placed in the interior corner and secured in place by driving nails or screws from the exterior of the side walls. In another common expedient, a right angle sheet metal member is secured to the inner or outer surfaces of the corners by nails, bolts, or screws to produce a neat appearance although this arrangement creates problems when the containers are to be nested. Other containers use a wooden outside corner post or brace which is nailed or bolted in place.

However, each of these expedients requires a substantial amount of time to assemble and frequently they are not as strong as the side walls themselves. In order to correct this weakness, the manufacturers often design the corner so that the supporting structure is bulky and provides projections which detract from the appearance of the box, as well as its handling characteristics and increase the space consumed by the box. Moreover, since the corner structures are held together by nails or bolts, the side walls are necessarily punctured or drilled thus providing weak spots, and the strength of the corner structure varies between the nails or bolts.

As a result of this complex joint construction, bin boxes utilized for bulk shipment of agricultural and industrial products have been difiicult to stack and do not nest when not in use. Likewise, when a pilferproof container is required, the prior art devices requiring the use of nails, screws, or bolts which are accessible from the outside of the container, are easily opened and the contents removed, and the container resealed. Large shipping containers utilized to ship smaller modular packages have been constructed with hinge door at one end thereof through which they are loaded by conventional forklift trucks. The size of the truck that can be used is limited because the containers never exceed 8 feet high and 8 feet wide. In addition, the entry from one end makes it difficult to arrange the smaller boxes so they make maximum use of the space in the shipping container.

Summary of the invention The invention accordingly provides an improved container assembly which utilizes a spline type connection to secure the adjacent walls or panels of the container. The spline comprises an elongated member coextensive with the edges of the walls and extending into complementary grooves in the walls so that an adhesive will rigidly interconnect the abutting surface of the spline and the various walls of the container. In one form, the connection is used to form a bin box having a pallet adapted to be releasably secured thereto with the bin boxes being nestable when the skids are removed or being stackable when the skids are in place. When stacked, the bottom of the skid of one of the containers forms a lid or cover for the top of the adjacent lower container.

In another form, the invention is directed to a modular shipping container comprising a plurality of inner boxes utilizing the aforesaid spline connection to provide a sixsided container which is pilferproof, air and water tight, and capable of withstanding substantial stress. The inner boxes are adapted to fit into a much larger shipping container which also utilizes the aforesaid joint construction and which can be easily handled or transferred for storage from one type of vehicle to another. By providing means to remove the upper section of the top and side walls from its base any portion of the lading can be selected for removal. In addition, the large shipping container may be turned up side down to provide shipping means for bulk products.

Brief description of the drawings FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a bin box formed in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the bin box shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a perspective illustration of a segment of the spline utilized in the joints of the bin box;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 4-4 before the steel band is applied;

FIG. 5 is another sectional view taken along the line 55 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 66 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 is a schematic illustration showing the manner in which the spline members fit together;

FIG. 8 is a vertical sectional view showing a plurality of containers nested together;

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 8 showing one container stacked on top of a similar container;

FIGS. 10 and 11 are perspective views showing the top and bottom, respectively, of the pallet utilized with the bin box;

FIG. 10A is a simplified form of pallet;

FIG. 12 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing the manner in which the pallet provides a cover for the adjacent lower box;

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a box in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 14 is a schematic illustration similar to FIG. 7 showing the manner in which the splines are arranged in the box shown in FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is a sectional view taken along the line 1515 of FIG. 13;

FIG. 15A is a view similar to FIG. 15 but showing the use of a staple to strengthen the joint construction;

FIG. 16 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 13 broken away to show the manner in which the box is opened;

FIG. 17 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the manner in which the top of the box is positioned for closure;

FIG. 18 is a fragmentary perspective view of one corner of the box before the top is secured in place;

FIG. 19 is a perspective view partially broken away of a large shipping container forming another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 20 is a sectional view taken along the line 2020 of FIG. 19;

FIG. 21 is an end view of the base utilized with the container shown in FIG. 19;

FIG. 22 is an end view of the top portion of the container shown in FIG. 19;

FIG. 23 is a sectional view taken vertically through the container;

FIG. 24 is a side view taken along the line 24--24 of FIG. 23;

FIG. 25 is a sectional view taken along the line 25-25 of FIG. 23; and

FIG. 26 is a fragmentary plan view taken along the line 26-26 of FIG. 24.

Detailed description of the drawings A bin box made in accordance with the invention is shown in FIG. 1 and includes four side walls 11, 12, 13 and 14 made of plywood or the like and having a bottom wall 15 of similar material secured thereto. The bin box has a removable pallet 16 which facilitates handling of the box by a conventional forklift truck whose forks can fit beneath the box when approached from substantially any angle.

An important feature of the invention is the manner in which the joints 20 are formed between the side and bottom walls 11-15 of the box. Specifically, each of the walls has its edge surfaces 22 beveled at an angle, as shown in FIG. 4, so that a slight V-shaped void is created when the walls are disposed perpendicularly. An elongated slot or groove 23 is cut into each tapered edge surface 22 parallel to the inner and outer surfaces 24 of the walls 11-15. The width w of this groove and the depth 1 thereof are carefully regulated so that the spline 25 will fit snugly therein to lock the adjacent walls together. Each spline 25 has two side sections 26 and 27 disposed at right angles and interconnected at the central portion 28, as shown in FIGS. 3-5. The lower ends 29 of the side sections 26 and 27 of the splines 25 utilized between the side walls 11-14, and both ends of the splines used between the side walls 11-14 and bottom wall 15, are tapered at 45 angles so that they mate together (see FIG. 7) when the box 10 is assembled.

Each of the splines 25 includes a base member 30 which may be of a flexible fiberboard material of laminated kraft paper. A metal outer layer 31 covers the outside surface of the base member 30 and has edge portions 32 which extend around the longitudinal edges 33 thereof to overlap the adjacent portion of the inside surface thereof, as shown in FIG. 3. A plurality of indentations 35 are provided in the outer layer 30 to secure this metal outer layer to the softer base material and insure that the two are held tightly in contact at all times. The splines 25 are sufficiently flexible to facilitate insertion into the grooves 23 and assembly of the box. For example, the fiber-board can be creased at 28 to provide a flexibility at this point and the sheet metal outer layer 30 may be sheet steel about .080 inch thick which is sufficiently flex-. ible to permit easy assembly of the box. Fiberboard and metal are further fastened together with an appropriate adhesive. The construction of metal and fiber and their respective thicknesses are governed by the size of the container and the intended loads.

Before the splines 25 are inserted into the appropriate grooves 23, each surface thereof is carefully coated with a preset amount of a suitable adhesive so that every square inch of surface contact between the walls 11-15 and the splines 25 will be secured together. For example, an adhesive sold under the trade name Panel Adhesive manufactured by Georgia Pacific, Inc. will provide a strength of about 350 p.s.i. In addition, the tapered edge surfaces 22 are covered with adhesive so that when the metal bands or strips 35 which fit into the grooves 36 in the outside surfaces of the side and end walls 11-15 are tightened into place, the adjacent edge surfaces 22 are drawn together to abut one another, and at the same time the splines 25 are forced tightly into the grooves 23 and pressure is applied to outer surfaces of the joint 20. These metal bands are also placed around the side and bottom walls to insure that each joint 20 between the walls 11-15 is held tightly together until the adhesive sets. A typical joint after the adhesive is set is shown in FIG. 5, it being particularly noted that the abutting edge surfaces 22 are drawn tightly together. The metal staples 38 (FIG. 15A) may be driven through the walls 11-15 and the splines 25 at spaced intervals in lieu of using the strips 35 for permanent reinforcement.

The side walls 11-14 of the bin box may be tapered as shown in FIG. 2 to facilitate mounting on the pallet 16 as well as nesting thereof, as will be described. The pallet 16 includes four frame members 41 which are nailed in place to the blocks 42 disposed at the four corners of the frame member 41 which define a frame having an outer size and configuration equal to the top of the box 10. The blocks 42 are preferably made of wood usually having the dimensions of 4 x 4 x 3 inches. The L-shaped reinforcing members 43 are mounted on each of the corners on top of the frame member 41 to facilitate alignment of the bin box 10 on the pallet 16 without the use of bolts 50, as well as to provide additional support for the adjacent corners 20 thereof. These reinforcing members 43 are rigidly secured in place on the frame member 41 and blocks 42 by the nails 45, as shown in FIG. 6.

The bin box 10 is secured to the pallet 16 by the bolts 50 which extend through each corner of the bottom wall 15 (FIG. 6) through the bores 51 and into threaded engagement with the nuts 52 imbedded in the bottom of the frame member 41. The use of the bolts 50 to secure the pallet to the bin box is preferred, but it is possible to merely set the box 10 on the pallet 16 since the weight of the box and the L-shaped members 43 will hold it in position on the pallet.

The basic pallet 16a shown in FIG. 10A includes the corner blocks 42a with the rectangular frame members 41a being disposed on the bottom of these blocks. Bolts thus extend through the bottom wall 15 of the box 10 through suitable bores 51a in the 'blocks 42a to engage suitable nuts. The frame members 41a may be chamfered on their side edges 41b to reduce the possibility of damage when forklift trucks or the like run over them. Because of the strength characteristics of the joint connections 20 in the bin box 10, this very simple and basic pallet can be utilized to support the entire bin box whereas it is presently necessary to use as much as a nine block pallet to support the loads at the center of the box 10.

When the bin boxes are not in use, the pallets 16 can be easily removed by unscrewing the four bolts 50 and stacking the pallets nested together for return shipment or storage. Because the sides of the boxes are tapered, it is only necessary to stack one within the other as shown in FIG. 8 so that the space required for storage or shipment is substantially less than that heretofore required by prior art boxes. While the nested boxes require more space than collapsible boxes, the advantages of the very strong construction of the present invention, and the absence of the requirement for tear-down and set-up time, far outweigh the space savings in the so-called collapsible boxes.

than the inside dimensions of the top of the box so that there is suflicient clearance for easy engagement between the boxes while substantially sealing the contents of the lower box. The blocks 42 of the upper box a engage the upper periphery 56 (FIG. 12) of the side walls 11-14 and all of the weight of the upper box is supported thereby. The pallet 16a is otherwise identical to the pallet 16 described above and identical reference characters are given to the common components.

The embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 13-17 is a small modular box 60 which utilizes the splines 25 to interconnect each of the four side walls 61 with the top and bottom panels 65 and 66. The twelve identical splines 25 nest together when the box is assembled, as shown schematically in FIG. 14, each having tapered ends 29 on each end of the two sections 26 and 27 so that each inch of joint constructions in the box has the spline 25 therein. Since the joints 20 which use the splines 25 are substantially identical to those described above, they are given the same reference characters and no detailed description thereof is being made.

The box 60 may be of any size although it is preferable that each of the side walls form a square corner with the adjacent top or bottom panels 65 and 66. The upper edge 67 (FIG. 17) of each of the side walls is beveled and with the appropriate grooves 23 cut therein as described above. The four edges of the top panel 65 have similar beveled edges with grooves therein into which the splines 25 are inserted. A suitable adhesive is applied to the sections 26 and 27 of the splines 25 and they are inserted into the grooves 23 in the edges of the wall. Suitable pressure is then applied to each of the walls, for example by steel bands, at least until the adhesive has set. In the preferred embodiment, the steel bands 68 are maintained around the side walls in complementary grooves to provide additional strength to the box.

When completely assembled, the box 60 is pilferproof, water and air tight, and it cannot be opened in any of the usual ways. There are no nails to pull, screws to unscrew, and it is not possible to cut through the side walls with a saw without a great deal of trouble because of the metal cover 31 which forms part of the splines 25. However, the splines 25 used in the vertical corners of this embodiment are provided with the open areas 70 (FIG. 16) of a preset width and distance from the upper edge 67 of the side walls 61 wherein no metal cover 31 is present. The inside of the box 60 is marked with a suitable line 71 which is aligned with the center of the open area 70, and an indication is placed on the outside of the box or on the shipping order which accompanies the box to inform those receiving the box of the position of the void 70. In a situation where pilfering is common, this distance can be coded so that only those having the key to the code can open the boxes easily.

When it is desirable to open the box, the authorized person acquires the necessary dimensions and marks a line around the outside surface of the wall 61 of the box, a preset distance from the top edge 67 thereof. A power saw with its blade set to the thickness of the side walls 61 is then utilized to cut through the side walls along the line at which time the upper section of the box 60 can be removed for access to the contents.

Referring now to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 19, a large shipping container 75 is shown having therein a plura ity of smaller modular boxes 60 of the type shown in FIGS. 13-17. This container is intended to be of very large size, for example 8 feet wide, 8 feet high, and up to 40 feet in length, and adapted to be utilized for shipping by motor freight, rail, and steamship. The inner boxes 60 formed in modular sizes, or other containers or articles, can be readily arranged to fill an entire container 75 by placement on the base 80 and then the container 75 is lowered over the load and secured to the base.

The container 75 includes a top section having the top wall 76 and four side walls 77, and this top section can be separated from the base 80 which has a plurality of skid members 82 on the bottom thereof to facilitate handling of the container by a conventional forklift truck. The steel bands 83 surround the container 75 passing centrally over the aligned skid members 82 and the cross channels 84 on the top wall 76 to secure the top section and base together.

The top and side walls 76 and 77 of the top section are preferably made of plywood secured together in the manner described above by the metal covered splines 25a. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 20, the corner joints 20a of the top section are interconnected by a pair of parallel splines 25a which engage suitable grooves 23a and the top and side Walls in substantially the manner described above. Much thicker top and side walls 76 and 77 are used because of the increased size of the container thereby permitting the use of the parallel splines 25a which are similar to those described hereinbefore, and except that they may be of larger size and heavier construction.

The base 80 comprises a bottom wall 86 which is adapted to fit snugly inside the lower edges of the side walls 77, as shown in FIG. 23. A right angle member 87 is secured around the entire periphery of this bottom wall with the vertical portion 88 thereof spaced from the edges 89 of the bottom wall 86 to create the slot 90 into which the lower edges 92 of the side walls 77 fit. A rubber or plastic seal 91 may be provided at the bottom of the slot 90 to create an air and water seal joint when the container 75 is assembled. The channel 87 may be secured in place in the recess 93 on the bottom wall 86 by the conventional wood screws 94 or their equivalent. The three or more skid members 82 which extend across the bottom wall 86 provide rigidity thereto, as well as space this bottom wall 86 above the supporting surface to facilitate handling of the container 75 by a forklift truck.

Each of the skid members 82 includes a central wooden member 95 surrounded on its vertical ends and sides by the metal plate 96 which is secured thereto by conventional screws 98, as shown in FIG. 21. The central wooden member 95 has a channel shaped indentation 101 along the entire length thereof for receiving the channel 84 across the top of the container when two or more containers 75 are stacked vertically. The central portion 102 of this indentation is spaced from the web portion 104 of the channel '84 to provide space for the metal band 83. The corner lifting blocks 103 may be provided at the four corners of the base 80 for lifting with conventional hooks and the like.

The metal channels 84 on the top wall 75 extend across the entire width thereof and are secured in place by the conventional wood screws 105 or bolts, as shown in FIGS. 22 and 23. The channels are of conventional design except that the ends 106 of the central web portion 104 thereof are deformed downwardly to accommodate the tapered corner 107 of the top wall 76. A pair of hook eyes 110 is provided internally of the two outer channels 84 (FIG. 19) at the opposite ends thereof for use in lifting the entire container 75, for example, to load the container aboard a cargo ship. Each hook eye 110 is held in place by a pivot pin 111 (FIG. 26) which extends through the central portion 112 of the hook, through the side walls 114 of the channel 84, and the reinforcing washers 115 secured to the outside of the side Walls 114 of the channels 84. The loop portion 117 of the hook eyes are relatively narrow so that it lays fiat between the vertical side walls 11 of the channel when not in use. The four hook eyes 117 thus pivot between a stored position and a. vertical position wherein a suitable cable can be secured to lift the container 75.

The skids 82 have complementary portions of the central wooden members 95 removed to provide clearance for the hook eyes 110 and channel 84 when the containers are stacked. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 23, each end of the wooden members 95 is tapered along the surface 120 to provide clearance for the hook eye 110 and its support pin 111. Similarly, the reinforcing plate 96 at the ends of the skids have a central portion 122 thereof bent inwardly adjacent the bottom of the tapered surface 120 so that the metal strap 83 can readily pass around the skids in the central portion thereof. When the containers 75 are stacked, the lower portion 123 of the plate 96 below the central portion 122 engages the ends of the nested channels 84 to prevent relative lateral movement of the containers, while the indentation 101 receives the sides 114 of the channels 84 to prevent relative longitudinal movement between the containers 75.

Accordingly, the invention provides a very strong corner or joint construction which is also air and water tight for use in a box or container, and the joint is entirely formed on the interior of the panel members so that no obstructions or projections are present on the outside or inside of the box or container. In practice, it has been found that this joint construction can be as strong as the panels or side walls, and thus the joint is not the weak link in the construction of the box or container as is frequently true of the prior art. With this novel joint structure, applicant has been able to construct a bin box for agriculture or industrial use for the transfer and storage of fruits, vegetables, and miscellaneous industrial products. The pallet design is simple and the boxes can be nested as a result of this novel corner or joint construction.

Similarly, this joint construction is utilized in a pilferproof entirely closed box used to ship valuable machine parts and the like. The boxes of varying modular sizes are adapted to fill a very large shipping container which likewise utilizes the joint construction. A plurality of the modular boxes are placed on a base, and then the top section of the container is secured in place to provide a unit which can be easily lifted by a forklift truck, by a crane using cables, and stacked while being shipped or stored. Similarly, this joint construction provides a box with the least cubical content possible since there are no protrusions beyond the faces of the box.

While each of the boxes and containers described herein is preferably constructed of lightweight material, it is within the scope of the invention to use other types of materials or combinations thereof. For example, a plastic or fiberglass covered plywood material could be utilized in certain applications. Similarly, the spline construction utilizing the fiberboard base with a metal cover is preferable, but other materials or combinations of materials can be utilized without departing from the scope of the invention.

While the forms of apparatus herein described constitute preferred embodiments of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to these precise forms of apparatus, and that changes may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention which is defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A pilferproof box comprising, six walls each rigidly interconnected by four adjacent walls by internal joint means, said internal joint means including flat edge surfaces on each wall adapted to abut each other, an elongated groove cut in each of said edges extending from said flat surface into said walls generally parallel to the outer surfaces of said walls, a spline having a length coextensive with said grooves, said spline having two sections each of which has a width equal to the depth of said grooves and a thickness slightly less than the width of said grooves, each of said sections being disposed in one of said grooves with said fiat surfaces in abutting contact, said splines having tapered ends which nest together to completely occupy substantially all of the space in said grooves, and adhesive means rigidly interconnecting the entire surface area of said spline sections with the adjacent portions of said side and bottom walls and said flat surfaces.

2. A box as defined in claim 1 wherein said spline includes a base member of flexible material, a thin metal covering on said base member, means interconnecting said metal covering and said base member to provide a combined thickness slightly less than the width of said grooves, aligned open sections in said covering on four of said splines wherein no metal is present to permit said spline to be sawed through said open sections, and means to indicate the precise location of said open sections.

3. A container structure comprising, at least two adjacent walls having edges thereof in contact, said edges including flat surfaces adapted to abut each other, an elongated groove cut in each of said walls extending through said flat surface into said walls substantially parallel to the outside surfaces of said walls, a spline having a length coextensive with said grooves, said spline including a base member of flexible paperboard material, a thin metal covering on both sides of said base member, means interconnecting said metal covering and said base member to provide a combined thickness slightly less than said thickness of said grooves, said spline having two sections each of which has a width equal to the depth of said grooves and a thickness slightly less than the thickness of said grooves, each of said sections being disposed in one of said grooves with said flat surfaces of said edges in abutting contact, and adhesive means rigidly interconnecting the entire surface area of said spline sections with the adjacent portions of said walls and interconnecting the adjacent fiat surfaces to provide a joint capable of withstanding substantial forces.

4. A container structure as defined in claim 3 wherein staple means are driven through said walls and said sections of said spline at spaced intervals along said edges.

5. A container structure as defined in claim 3 comprising four side walls and a bottom wall each having said flat surfaces on the periphery thereof, said surface being beveled so that when said edges abut each other said walls are disposed at about a right angle to one another, one of said splines interconnecting the adjacent edges of each of said walls, and strap means surrounding said side walls to reinforce the corner structures.

6. A container structure as defined in claim 3 wherein each of said sections of said splines has tapered ends thereon to provide for nesting into splines at the juncture between three of said walls so that said splines occupy substantially completely all of the space in said grooves.

7. A container as defined in claim 3 comprising four side walls each tapering downwardly and a bottom wall secured to said side walls, pallet means are secured to said bottom wall to facilitate handling thereof, said pallet means including a frame having an outer configuration and size substantially equal to the outer configuration and size of the box at the upper periphery of said side walls, and blocks secured to said frame adjacent the corners thereof to support said frame.

8. A container as defined in claim 7 wherein a cover is secured to the bottom surface of said blocks, said cover having a size and configuration adapted to fit within the top of another similar container when two containers are vertically stacked while said blocks engage the upper periphery of said side walls of the lower box to support the upper container on the lower container.

9. A container as defined in claim 7 wherein bolts extend through said bottom wall, said frame, and said blocks, and nut means for threadedly engaging said bolt means to lock said pallet to said bottom wall while permitting easy detachment of said blocks.

10. A shipping container comprising an upper section including four side walls rigidly interconnected to a top wall, a base member adapted to be secured to the lower periphery of said upper section to contain a plurality of smaller modular containers, spaced skid members mounted on the lower surface of said base to add rigidity thereto and space said base above the supporting surface, a plurality of channel members mounted on the top of said top wall and aligned with said skid members, said top and side walls of said upper section being secured together by internal joint means, said joint means including flat surfaces on the edges of said walls adapted to abut each other, an elongated groove cut in each of said edges extending from said flat surface into said walls generally parallel to the outer surfaces of said walls, a spline having a length coextensive with said grooves, said spline having two sections each of which has a width equal to the depth of said grooves and a thickness slightly less than the width of said grooves, each of said sections being disposed in one of said grooves with said fiat surfaces in abutting contact, adhesive means rigidly interconnecting the entire surface area of said spline sections with the adjacent portions of said side and top walls and said fiat surfaces, and strap means wrapped around said upper section and said base and centrally through said skid and channel members to rigidly interconnect said upper section and said base.

11. A container as defined in claim 10 wherein said joint means includes two parallel grooves in each of said flat surfaces, and a pair of said splines in between each abutting fiat surface.

12. A container as defined in claim 10 wherein said skid member has a complementary groove therein adapted to receive said channel member so that when two containers are stacked vertically said skid members and channels are nested together to prevent relative lateral or longitudinal movement.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 419,763 1/1890 Fletcher.

694,436 3/ 1902 Smith 22949 1,212,190 1/1917 Davis 217--69X 2,655,882 10/1953 Tripp 217-69 X 2,664,813 1/1954 Rose.

2,792,142 5/ 1957 Sandkuhle 217-66 X 3,014,581 12/ 1961 Storck. 3,073,500 1/ 1963 Goodrich et a1 229-49 X FOREIGN PATENTS 711,158 6/1931 France.

RAPHAEL M. SCHWARTZ, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 217- 

